Lego Boost Robot Will Teach Kids to Code

The new Lego Boost building and coding set will help teach kids robotics and how to code. The $160 Lego Boost set combines traditional Lego block building, electronic components and programming to bring Lego creations to life. First introduced at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, The Lego Boost aims to get kids as young as seven interested in coding.

The Lego Boost kit comes with 843 pieces, a playmat and a free app. Rather than forcing children to build and play with a single robot, Lego Boost comes with plans to build five models: Vernie the Robot, Frankie the Cat, the Guitar 4,00, the Multi-Tool Rover 4 and the Autobuilder.

Once children build a Lego creation with the Lego Boost kit, they can bring it to life by using an iPad or Android tablet and the free Lego app. The app features digital building blocks that command the creations to move, shoot objects and more. From the preview of the app, it looks pretty simple and doesn’t require any sort of advanced computing knowledge to get started. The app includes more than 60 activities to help kids learn while playing with Lego models.

When kids get comfortable coding and building with the stock models, they can get more even more creative with this set and build their own unique creations on top of three base models. For example, the Lego Boost app includes instructions on how to creating a walking base for making robotic animals.

Lego Boost: Vernie the Robot

Kids can take the special boost components and “boost” any Lego model.

While $160 is a lot of money to spend on a toy, there’s certainly enough value here to make it compelling for parents looking to give their kids a leg-up in STEM learning.